February 8 – Qatar’s World Cup organisers are splashing out a staggering $500 million every week on major infrastructure projects, the country’s finance minister has admitted.
Ali Shareef Al-Emadi told a group of foreign journalists that there would be no let-up in the spending spree right up until 2021.
Qatar, like Russia, are still the subject of separate investigations in Switzerland and the United States over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process. But that hasn’t stopped the Gulf state pressing ahead with its programme of investment.
“We are spending close to $500 million per week on capital projects,” Al-Emadi said, explaining that it will cover not only stadiums but roads, a new airport and hospitals.
“And this will carry on for the next three to four years to achieve our goal and objective of really getting the country ready for 2022. Ninety per cent of the 2022 contracts have already been awarded.”
“We are really giving ourselves a good chance of delivering things on time and we don’t want to get in a place that we start painting while people are coming to the country.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713605921labto1713605921ofdlr1713605921owedi1713605921sni@w1713605921ahsra1713605921w.wer1713605921dna1713605921